A late-night WhatsApp video call turned into a nightmare for a Delhi resident and exposed a sophisticated sextortion racket operating from Rajasthan, officials said on Saturday.
The police arrested a 23-year-old BCom graduate, identified as Arman, for allegedly masterminding an online honey trap and digital blackmail racket that targeted dozens of victims through obscene video calls and fake social media profiles.
According to police, the case surfaced after a distressed complainant approached authorities through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. The victim alleged that he received a WhatsApp video call from an unknown number. During the call, a pre-recorded obscene video featuring a woman was played to lure him into a compromising situation. Investigators said the victim was manipulated into undressing on camera, after which the fraudsters secretly recorded the interaction.
Soon after, the victim allegedly began receiving his own obscene video along with threats that it would be circulated on social media unless he paid money. The accused initially demanded ?1 lakh and managed to extort part of the amount before the victim alerted police.
Acting on the complaint, police registered a case at Cyber Police Station Shahdara under Section 318(4) of the BNS. A dedicated cyber investigation team then launched a digital trail analysis. Using technical surveillance and financial tracking, police traced the operation to Ladamka village under Gopalgarh police station in Rajasthan’s Deeg district, a region increasingly under the scanner for cyber fraud.
Police said Arman was arrested and is believed to be the kingpin of the sextortion network. During the raid, investigators recovered two mobile phones and 11 SIM cards allegedly used in the operation.
According to police, nearly 150 obscene videos were recovered, including around 50 clips linked to different victims. Investigators said one phone was used to contact victims through WhatsApp calls and chats, while another device played pre-recorded obscene videos during the trap.
During interrogation, the accused allegedly confessed to randomly selecting targets through Instagram and dating platforms. Using fake profiles, he initiated friendly and flirtatious conversations before persuading victims to engage in intimate video calls. Once compromising visuals were obtained, the victims were blackmailed with threats of circulation on social media.
